Pig apartment



July 23, 1929. I oo R 1,721,942

PIG APARTMENT Filed Oct. 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B glwuentoz THOMASEBOOHER 61cm new July 23, 1929. T. E. BOOHER 1,721,942

PIG APARTMENT Filed Oct. 8, 1928 2 Sheets-=Sheet 2 FIG. 5,

Patented July 23, 1929.

THOMAS E, IBOOI-IER, OF ALBANY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO IIOOSIER BUILDINGTILE 8c SILO COMPANY, OF ALBANY, INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

rm APARTMENT.

Application filed OctoberB, 1928. Serial No. 311,212.

This invention relates to improvements in structures intended for thelodgment, feeding, and caring for animals such as pigs and sheep, and isespecially applicable in connection with an inclosure or buildingstructure of curvilinear or polyhedral formation in plan. The inventionas shown herein, being especially adaptable for the housing and caringfor pigs, is designated as a pig apartment.

The object of the invention is to provide in a building or inolosure ofthe kind described, means whereby the area therein, in its entirety, orin compartment formation, may be efliciently and effectively used; andwhereby ingress to and egress from the said area and areas, may easilybe had.

My invention contemplates the providing of partition walls dividing thefloor area into spaces or compartments, and gates connected to andbetween the said partitions, the said partitions and gates being soconstructed and combined with each other, and with the inclosure walls,that from a central area in the floor space, access to any one, or toall of the compartment areas may be had; and also whereby two or morecompartments may be made in to a single and enlarged compartment.

The objects of my invention are accomplished by, and the invention isembodied in the new construction, combination and arrangement of partssh own in the accompanying drawings, and described in the followingspecification. v The several parts of the invention are identified bysuitable characters of reference applied to them in the different viewsin the drawings, in which Figure 1 is front View of a building orinclosing structure of the form preferred, and in which to embody andpractice my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional top plan View, taken on the line 2-2in Figure 1, showing my invention in form for providing'six compartmentsof similar size, and an entryway leading to the central area of thefloor space.

Figure .3 is a vertical cross section view, taken on the line 3.3 inFigure I Figure 4. is a top plan view showing a disposition of thepartitions and gates, whereby one compartment only, is provided.

Figure 5 is a top plan view showing the positions of the partitions andgates when the between the end portions of the gates and the endportions of the partitions.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan View, showing in detail thehasps and the end portions of the gates in coengaged position whenarranged in thestatus as shown in Figure 6.

My invention may be practiced in connection with an inclo'sing'orhousing structure of curvilinear, or of polyhedral formation in plan.For the reason. that the circular building structure shown and describedin my pending application Serial Number 241,248, filed December 17,1927, is capable of being easily erected, and that it embodies a floorand walls of weather proof construction, and that the walls thereof areof stable and secure arrangement, the said structure is shown herein asbeing especially suitable for the installation and use of the inventionas an apartment structure for the shelteringand caring for pigs andsheep or the like.

The floor structure of the building is circular in plan, audit consistsof matched central sections 1 and 2; and similar side sections 3 and 4.These floor sections, joined together as shown, constitute a. circularfloor having an offset peripheral upright edge 5,and flange 6, andvtheymay be reposed ona foundation of any suitable kind for supporting thecentral and marginal portions of the floor structure. For a buildingintended for the shel-' tering and caring for pigs, as in the presentinstance, the diameter of the same may be about eighteen feet. 2

The wall 7 consists of upright members or staves having matched edges,and which staves are disposed in edge to edge engagement, with theirlower ends on the circular floor flange 6,'and against edge The roofstructure 8 may be equipped witha suitable ventilator and chimney device9 centrally located as shown, and its rafters are adapted to restsecurely on the upper rim of the wall.

The wall members and panels in which are retained the doors, are boundsecurely together, and to the floor and roof structure, by the metalbands or hoops 10 and 12.

In the preferred construction shown herein for carrying out the purposesof my invention, I provide the openings 14:, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20for doors which maybe of any suitable form of construction, and whichare spaced substantially equidistant from each other. Each of thewall-like partition structures is hingedly connected to the wall of thebuilding, said partitions being spaced, as shown in FigureQ, withrelation to the location of the said doors. Gate structures which arehinged to the free ends'of the said partitions, have their free endsadapted to register with and to be removably fastened to the free endsof the adjacent partitions; or, in instances where the compartment ofenlarged formation is. to be provided,to each other, as shown in Figure6. For the purposes of thegeneral construction set forth in the presentspecification, each of the saidpartitions is similar to the other instructure, form, and dimensions.

Each partition is about five and one-half feet in length and about threefeet in height,

and consists of boards A set edge to edge and bound together at theirends by vertical battens A By hinges B of suitable strength and size,these partitions are connected to the wall, of the building, at suchheight that their bottoms may be moved freely upon, or just immediatelyabove the surface of the floor. The gates also are of similarconstruction and dimensions, and may consist of spaced boards C retainedsecurely by the vertical battens C which are of height the same as theheight of the partitions.

Hinged to the free ends of the partitions D and E are the gates D and EHinged to the free ends of the partitions F and Gr are the gates F and Fand the gates G and G respectively. The. free end of each of the gatesis provided with a hinged hasp H. The free ends of the partitions J, K,and L, are provided with staples Mwhich are adapted to be engaged by thesaid hasps.

It will be observed that the location of the hinged ends of thepartitions are such, with relation to the positions of the doors, thatwhen any one of thepartitions is swung 011 its hinges (the direction ofits movement being indicated by the arrow in Figure 2), its free endwill clear the adjacent door. With the severalpartitions and gates atthe positions shown in Figure 2, there is constituted a maximum numberof compartments, and the said compartments are similar in size. Entranceinto the inclosure is had through the door 14 and through the spacebetween the partitionsD and E, to an open central area. Surrounding thiscentral area are the compartment areas constituted, as above described,by the partitions and the gates.

From the central area, access may easily be had to any one of thecompartment areas through the gate thereof. Also there is possible theeasy ingress to or egress from any one of the compartments through thedoor thereof in the wall of the building.

To combine with the said central area of the building, the area of anyone of the compartments, the gate thereof is simply shifted to openposition. If it may be desired to combine the areas of two or morecompartments with the central area, then the two gates of the partitionare swung to open status, and the partitions are shifted to the positionas indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2. Although in the drawingthe partition and gates (in the dotted line position) stand apart fromthe wall, it will be understood that same in practice when in theshifted po sition shown, stand immediately adjacent to the wall, andthat they occupy relatively small space.

Whereas I have showniny invention embodied in form to constitute sixcompartments, and in an inclosure structure of circular formation. Iwish it to be understood that the invention is capable of beingpracticed in modified forms of structure and detail, in conformity withthe plan formation of the inclosure structure, and the uses to which thebuilding is to be devoted. The general features and details shown areconsidered suitable, and to be preferred on account of the economy withwhich they may be constructed and installed. The invention may besupplied as a part of the building construction, or it may be suppliedas equipment for buildings of wood or metal construction already in use,in such instances, suitable modification of the dimensions, and of thematerials fort-he several parts may be made.

Advantages of the invention are that the animals being cared for may beeasily grouped, or segregated. Areas needed for special or unusualrequirements are easily available, simply by the manipulation of thegates at desired locations, and the shifting of the partitions to theirrepose against the wall. Whereas the partitions may be arcuate in crosssection and caused to thereby repose in position more nearly adjacent tothe wall, this feature is considered not necessary, as the par tition ofstraight formation is of more economical construction.

An illustration of a modification of the interior of the inclosed space,is shown in Figure 4, wherein there is provided the entryway by thepartitions D and E, and a single compartment is provided by thepartition E, gate E and the partitionJ all of the other partitions andgates being moved to the folded positions. It is obvious that a more orless number of compartments may beprovided, and at desired relativepositions, by the suitable disposal of the partitions and gates.

To clear entirely, the floorarea of the inclosu're, the severalpartitions are disposed in the positions as shown in Figure 5.

Still another and useful arrangement, is that shown in Figure 6, thepartitions J, K

a and L having been swung to engagement With the Walls, and the gates ofthe partitions E and F, F and G, and G and I), being set together Withtheir hasps united, as shown in Figure 8. i

By the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described,there is facility whereby the handling of the pigs under most allvarying circumstances, is practicable. The central area While ail'ordingeasy access to any one or all of the compartments, also providessuitable space for the preparation and distribution of the foodstufl'sor other articles of necessity for the proper handling and care of theanimals. The Work of segregation, and the handling of the animalsindividually or in groups, in Whatever manner the circumstances may deembest, is possible of performance readily, expeditiously and easily, by aperson of only ordinary skill.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an inclosure structure of the kind described, the combination Withthe Wall thereof, of spaced partitions each of Which has its one endpivotally connected to the Wall, gate structures between the free endsof the partitions, and hinge and latch connect-ions between the saidgate structures and the said partitions.

2. An enclosure structure of the kind de scribed and having a circularWall, a first set of spaced partitions each of Which said partitions ishinged to the Wall, a second set of partitions spaced inalternate'relation to the partitions of the first set, a gate hinged tothe free end of each partition of the second set, and Whose free end isadapted to engage and to be fastened to the free end of the adj acentpartition.

8. An enclosure structure of the :kind described, a first set of spacedpartitions, each of which said partitions is hinged to the Wall, asecond set of partitions spaced in alternate relation to the partitionsof the first set, gates hinged to the free ends of the partitions of thesecond set, and Whose free ends are adapted to be fastened to the freeends of the partitions of the first set, or to each other. 4. A housingstructure of the kind described having a circular Wall, a first set ofspaced partitions, each partition of said set being hinged to the Wall,a second set of partitions spaced in alternate relation to thepartitions of the first set, a gate hinged on each side of the free endof each partition of the second set and Whose free endis adapted toengage thefree end of the adjacent part-ition, and a latch device forsaid gate.

5. An animal apartment housing, comprising an inclosure structure havinga circular Wall provided With spaced doors, an entry-Way partition ateach side of one of the doors, each of Which said entry-Way partitionsis hinged to the wall, agate hinged to the free end of each entry-Waypartition, a first set of spaced partitions each having its end hingedto the Wall, a second set of partitions spaced in alternate relation tothe partitions of the first set, a gate hinged on each side of the freeend of each partition of the second set, the end of each of the saidgates'being adapted to engage each other, or to engage the free end'ofthe adjacent partition, and a latch device for each of the said gates.

6. An animal apartment structure of the kind described, comprising aWall structure having spaced Wall openings, a first set of spacedpartitions each of Which has its one end movably attached to the Wall, asecond set of partitions spaced in alternate relation to the partitionsof the first set and each of Which has its one end movably attached tothe Wall, the length of the said partitions being less than the measureof the distance between their Wall connections and the ad titions.

- THOMAS E. BOOHER.

